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This article addresses the relationship of universities to their changing regulatory environments internationally.

This article updates analysis published in 2004 exploring the contrasting modes of, and key trends in, regulation of higher education across eight OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) states. The article offers a wider analysis of the changing patterns of regulation rooted in mutuality, oversight, competition and design, and the implications for the management of higher education institutions.

Since 2004, higher education has seen more growth in oversight-based and competition-based regulation, but also some decentralization of regulation as an increasing cast of actors, many international and transnational in character, have asserted themselves in key aspects of the regulatory environment. This article explores the implications of these changes in the regulatory mix over higher education for the ways that universities manage their regulatory environment, arguing first, that there is significant evidence of meta-regulatory approaches to regulating universities, and second, that such a meta-regulatory approach is consistent with an emphasis on university autonomy, raising a challenge for universities in how to use the autonomy (variable by country) they do have to manage their environment.

This article offers an original analysis of how universities might most appropriately respond, deploying their autonomy, however variable, to address their external regulatory environment. The author suggests we might increasingly see the external regulatory environment as meta-regulatory in character and universities making more use of reflexive governance processes.

After considering the background to the regulation of the telecommunications industry, the paper examines the promotion of competition and protection of consumers in the sector. It concludes with the view that Oftel is seeking to develop a more robust style of regulation and is a likely model for other EC Member States.

The purpose of this article is to investigate how two New Zealand local authorities have engaged with their duty under the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act) to foster community participation in decision making, specifically with regard to costs and funding of local authority activities.

A “middle‐range” methodological approach was used which sought to flesh out a skeleton of theory with empirical data to demonstrate the richness of particular contexts. The basic premise was that Habermasian theory provides both a guide to engagement with local, democratic participation and also idealised goals for local authorities under the Act.

The local authorities investigated have taken significant steps to engage with community participation in local authority costs and funding decisions. However, lack of speech competence in the “language of accounting” precludes many community members from participating in informed dialogue on relevant issues. One authority sought to overcome this barrier by way of public meetings; the other by encouraging representative interest groups.

The research findings are not generalisable but are relevant to other organizations similar to those observed.

Broad community participation in local authority cost and funding decision‐making is hampered by the language of accounting. Accountants could do more to accommodate different constituencies for accounting information.

The article highlights two appropriate and practicable approaches the local authorities observed have adopted to foster democratic participation in local decision making. These efforts, but also the remaining problems, are relevant to a broad range of organisations seeking to include different community interest groups in decision making.

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the management control system (MCS) support of school initiatives to develop the school climate and to re‐engage disruptive students.

The paper adopts an approach of critical action research interviews with management and document reviews informed by Habermasian concepts to investigate practical concerns of schools with a complex problem and which add to the body of knowledge.

Using Habermas's discourse ethics distinction between the pragmatic, ethical and moral it was observed that both schools had gone beyond pragmatically informed strategic initiatives to include more rational problem solving responses: one school is more ethical the other more moral. Both schools' MCS are better explained by Otley's categorisation based on three concerns of MCS, the transactional, the strategic and stakeholder aspirations. Both schools' MCS displayed a stakeholder concern.

As only two schools where investigated the generalised conclusions need to be considered cautiously.

Schools should be supported to take initiatives to develop a supportive school climate and improve the rationality and justice of their practices. In schools, MCS cannot just be developed from strategic considerations.

The paper uses Habermasian social philosophy to illuminate MCS support in schools of their response to a complex problem.

Introduction Consider a hi‐fi loudspeaker manufacturing company acquired on the brink of insolvency by an American multinational. The new owners discover with growing concern that the product range is obsolete, that manufacturing facilities are totally inadequate and that there is a complete absence of any real management substance or structure. They decide on the need to relocate urgently so as to provide continuity of supply at the very high — a market about to shrink at a rate unprecedented in its history.

The Northfleet Group of Gravesend, Kent — UK market leaders in retail display systems — has appointed Gary B. Pettit to head the company's projects division as major accounts manager. This is a new position within the group which is aimed at the continued expansion and development of the division in serving the company's multiple retail and wholesale outlets. In this capacity, Mr Pettit reports directly to the sales director and leads a team of four managers and a further 16 sales and administrative personnel.

During the many years of peace perhaps the most depressing thing about libraries was the absence of public interest in them. The newspapers, public men, writers on education, amongst whom were many people who made daily use of libraries, in their public utterances completely ignored them or confined their mention to the mendacious archaism that they were merely purveyors of poor fiction. This was most unsatisfactory, for no institution can rise to its full possibilities unless it is the subject of encouragement and healthy criticism. Now affairs are different. The war has been a crucible in which most things have been tested, and libraries are proving to be no exception.